Manchester United have appointed Olympic legend Lord Sebastian Coe to spearhead the event of their proposed new 100,000‑seater stadium – the centrepiece of the Outdated Trafford Regeneration Venture.
Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and present President of World Athletics, has been named Chair-Designate of the Mayoral Improvement Company (MDC), the brand new physique overseeing the transformation of the realm round Outdated Trafford.
The undertaking, anticipated to span a decade, goals not solely to ship a state-of-the-art stadium – which might turn out to be the most important in the UK – but additionally to revitalise the encircling district with funding in housing, infrastructure, schooling and transport.
United first unveiled their plans for a brand new £2bn floor in March, which can be constructed near the present stadium – broadly considered as outdated and in disrepair. The membership hopes to finish the undertaking inside 5 to 6 years, and in the end host the 2035 Girls’s World Cup remaining on the new venue.
Lord Coe, who beforehand led the Outdated Trafford Regeneration Activity Drive – which explored the preliminary feasibility of the stadium and wider growth – and famously chaired London’s profitable 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid, stated he’s “delighted” to proceed engaged on the initiative.
“All through my profession, I’ve seen the distinction that sports-led regeneration could make in fostering robust communities and performing as a catalyst for financial progress,” Coe stated. “That was actually true of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics – and now, I consider, Higher Manchester’s second has come.”
“That is about a lot greater than only a stadium. It’s about listening to and dealing with residents to create a vibrant, inclusive district, with high-quality housing, inexperienced areas, world-class leisure and schooling amenities, and improved transport hyperlinks.”
United’s CEO Omar Berrada praised the appointment: “Lord Coe’s confirmed management and monitor document in delivering transformational initiatives can be invaluable as we work collectively to show our collective imaginative and prescient into actuality.”
